Dr. Dugas presented his clinical data on the new surgery for UCL injuries. This surgery utilizes an internal brace to provide a scaffold for collagen to heal the injured UCL. He presented his results on 127 patients with greater than 90% returning back to sports. Dr. Dugas stated this results are encouraging for the properly selected patient.

Dr. Cain presented his clinical experience on reconstruction of the ulnar collateral ligament. Dr. Cain showed new surgical techniques for fixation and putting the graft in the proper location. Dr. Cain has reported on the largest series of UCL reconstruction in the world. He reported a 90% success rate with this surgery.

Dr. Andrews lead numerous discussions on the treatment of shoulder and elbow injuries in baseball players. Dr. Andrews called rotator cuff tears the “granddaddy of all injuries to the baseball player” and the most difficult to treat. He states it continues to be the biggest challenge for him with baseball players.

Kevin Wilk, DPT discussed new exercise and rehab concepts for the thrower which incorporates the hips/core and the shoulder. Many of the exercise videos can be viewed on Kevin’s Instagram.

Kevin also discussed a new exercise program called the “softball 10” and the “advanced throwers ten” which complements the throwers ten program. Look for new videos of these exercises on this blog.

Mike Reinold, DPT from Champion Sports Medicine presented on weighted ball throwing. He has performed a study with high school baseball players looking at the effects. He reported he was encouraged with the increase in ball velocity but was concerned that several players sustained injuries while playing baseball following the completion of the study. Mike stated more research is needed to properly examine the effects of weighted ball throwing programs.